Getting dropped off at 12:30am on the side of a dark road with a Dutch girl we met at the Plain of Jars, we headed to the first guesthouse in sight. It ended up being our worst lodging thus far and double the price we expected to pay, but it was clean and safe. After sleeping in we immediately packed our bags and headed about four blocks away to a riverside bungalow. Who did we run into? Our Italian friends, just as they were leaving!
Vang Vieng is a small town alongside the Mekong River with surrounding views of ominous mountains jutting out from the valley below. For those of you in Mexico, think of a beautiful muggier Tepoztlan on a river.
The town is definitely driven by tourism, yet quickly became one of our favorite destinations. Vang Vieng embodies the epitomy of laid-back Lao culture, causing even the most high-strung westerner to take a chill pill (figuratively) and relax in surrounding hammocks. Strolling through the town it was impossible not to hear reruns of Friends and Family Guy episodes blaring from open air lounge bars filled with captivated tourists. Yes, they came to Laos to watch Friends and Family Guy. Wandering past the the many sandwich, smoothie and pancake street vendors, we could help but notice that "happy" proceeded menu items such as pancakes and pizza.
Waiting for continuous downpours to subside, we passed the afternoon in a French bakery, eating chocolate croissants and writing postcards... to you! Giving up on being dry we rented innertubes and headed to the Mekong with a tuk tuk (pickup truck taxi) full of people.
The tubing scene consisted of several informal open air bars strewn along either side of the river. The bars offered plenty of free drinks, rope swings and colossal slides. Upon renting tubes we were branded with a large number Sharpied to our forearms and by the end of the day, bracelets and a painting pinky nail. After a mojito bucket and a few new friends we floated 30 minutes down 6km of the Mekong river. We were shocked at the lack of infrastructure and safety measures for this activity. Basically, the tube companies in town rent the tubes and wish you luck to return alive while the bars are there to guide you down river. There is no sign telling you where to get out and if you do get in out in time, you're lucky to flag down a tuk tuk home. We loved it so much we hit up round two the next day.
On day one of tubing we left our clothes at the first bar in the custody of an English employee. That night in town after a delicious Aussie burger, we ran into our English friend who admitted he'd been wearing Gabi's shorts all day after his own ripped on the job. This is the second time on this trip that Gabi catches strangers wearing her clothes. This time to culprit was twice her size so his choice left us more astounded than upset. In good spirit and skeptical of his cleanliness Gabi traded him the shorts for a drink and went out to buy a new pair.
Before our first bout of tubing, we popped into the Aussie Bar for a quick cocktail. The owner, an Aussie expat of 65 years old, offered us free Lao whiskey if we promised to return for a delicious meal post tubing. We did return for the famed Aussie burgers and were infatuated, returning the next day for round two. Aside from having homemade fries and bbq sauce on hand, the burgers were perfectly crispy on the outside and medium rare on the inside. We were floored and concur that they're the best burgers we've ever had.
Itching to explore the caves in the surrounding mountains, we rented cruiser bikes and peddled down muddy bumpy roads, typical Lao style, to Tham Phu Kham cave at the Blue Lagoon. Navigating through road blocks of enormous pot holes, cows and children playing in the turquoise stream, we arrived cheerfully at our 6km away destnation one hour later covered in mud and soaked from the rain. Almost the only tourists in sight, we scrambled up a steep 200m rock staircase to the cave. we were rewarded by a reclining golden Buddha, visible only by natural light. After descending we jumped into our own private jade clear lagoon with rope swings, so clear we could see fish swimming beneath.
Preparing to leave, Lisa took advantage of a local barber who nearly gave her a mullet. She actually had to yell "stop, bad" after a chunk of her right side had been clipped. While we tried to extend our tickets to soak up another day of Vang Vieng, we were denied and headed out on the previously booked 1:30 bus to Vientiane, the capitol of Laos.
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